Little Lattes

Katherine and Joseph Myer were married when they were young and he was in the U.S. Army. The couple moved to Europe and soon welcomed a daughter. Near the military base was a small coffee shop with a play area for young children.

Being away from home with no support system was tough, Katherine Myer said. But, those other mothers and their children helped to form a support system that she really needed.

When she and her husband moved to Jonesboro in 2020, a tornado had just destroyed the Mall at Turtle Creek and one of the few spaces where moms and young children could mingle with each other.

“I was pregnant with my son at the time, and after he was born there was no place for us to socialize with others. We had nowhere to go,” she said.

The Myers hatched a business idea. They would create a play cafe where mothers, fathers, grandparents or other caregivers could enjoy some coffee and make friends with others. They opened Little Lattes last year.

“The whole point was to create a community. It’s happening and it has been amazing,” Katherine Myer said. “We watch the toddler become friends. We watch the moms and dads become friends. Pretty soon we see them coming in together at the same time.”

There’s no drive-thru at Little Latte’s. Myer said her customer base is coming to spend several hours inside the building.

There’s a safe space where infants can crawl around without being bothered by children who are already walking. For toddlers who walk there is a play space that includes a house with a kitchen, grocery store and others. The target audience is children aged 8 and under.

While the children play, their moms, dads, grandparents or other caregivers can have a coffee or eat a bagel and socialize, Myer said.

Little Lattes is the first business she has ever owned, and she said it has come with its own unique challenges. Before they even opened, the city of Jonesboro required them to install a large grease trap which was costly, she said. Making schedules for 13 employees, and running the day-to-day operations have been a challenge, too, she added. Managing supplies and negotiating a tight economy have been tough as well.

“I work every day. … I haven’t paid myself,” she said.

Despite the challenges of running a startup, Myers said she is pleased with the results. Word continues to spread about her business on social media and the number of people coming into the business continues to grow.

“The goal of our business was to create a community and I think we are doing that,” she said.

Editor’s note: This company is a finalist for the Northeast Arkansas Outstanding Business Awards — Startup Business category. Winners will be announced at a luncheon on April 15. Contact Rob Gutterridge at rgutterridge@nwabj.com for tickets.